Benigni, Sorrentino appeal for open-air cinema in Trastevere

Rome intends to put out call for tenders on event

(ANSA) - Rome, February 6 - Oscar winners are among a group of
directors and actors who have joined in support of the "Cinema
America Kids", an organization that holds a summer open-air
cinema event in Rome's Piazza San Cosimato, which the city has
announced it intends to put out for tender as part of its
"Estate Romana" summer events programme.
Important figures from the Italian cinema world including
Bernardo Bertolucci, Roberto Benigni, Paolo Sorrentino, Carlo
Verdone, and Nicola Piovani, among many others, signed an appeal
to the city against its decision.
"We cannot prevent ourselves from expressing total opposition
to the intention announced by Rome Deputy Mayor Luca Bergamo to
reduce the days of the event and to put out to tender a project
created by a group of young people who are guilty only of
loving, more than anything else, their city and its cinemas,"
the letter said.
"Letting it be understood that the initiative, up to now, has
been conducted illegally is an unacceptable lack of respect for
the efforts of dozens of young men and women, as well as an
offence to thousands of people and guests who, like us, have
participated in the event," the letter said.
The letter called on Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi to authorize
the event for this summer.
Valerio Carocci, president of the "Piccolo Cinema America"
association, said the city has given the group specific
conditions that make it impossible for it to hold the event this
summer.
He said the event has always been produced legally and that
90,000 people attended last summer.
Carocci said the group won't participate in the call for
tenders.